Fishing for Mermaids
by CeCe Away
Summary: Don't be dead. Don't be dead. Sam floated, legs angled downward by the weight of his heavy wet boots and jeans.
1. Chapter 1

**Written for the **** sam-centric h/c fic challenge**** over at the Oh!Sam livejournal community. ******

Prompt: Sam is attacked and captured by the Baddie of the Week, which happens to be some sort of aquatic or amphibious beastie. The creature drags Sam to its seaside lair in a cave and immobilizes him there, cold, wet, and injured.

Naturally Dean tracks him down, but by the time he finds Sam the tide is coming in and their escape from the cave is underwater. Sam is too weak/injured/cold to be able to swim out, so they are forced to spend the night in the cave. Dean cuddles Sam to keep him warm, talking to him through the night to keep him awake and grounded. 

**This is also for KKBELVIS who has nearly drowned Sammy spectacularly several times. If you haven't already, you should check out her stories. **

**Same disclaimer as always: Nada  
**

**Fishing for Mermaids**

Small waves lapped lazily against the little rowboat, rocking them gently. Dean dipped the oar into the water, pulling slightly to keep the boat's nose pointed toward the craggy cliff rising at least twenty feet above them. The rock wall tapered into jagged arms that protected the small half-moon bay from the harsh winds that whipped over the open ocean, so within Bottle Bay the water was tranquil, smooth, a favorite spot for fisherman, and only accessible by boat. Unless you were stupid enough to jump in, Dean thought as he gazed up at the top of the highest rise. Of course you'd have a long swim back around to the tapered arms to find a place to climb back out.

It was beautiful here, peaceful. Sunlight glimmered across the green water. A perfect day for a fishing trip with his brother, except they weren't exactly out here to catch fish.

"Mermaids." Shaking his head for about the hundredth time, Dean grinned.

Straddling the other crossbench sideways, Sam looked up from the hand-held fish sounder, white teeth flashing. "You're picturing Daryl Hannah again, aren't you?"

"Only kind of mermaid I want to tangle with. Blond and busty."

"Until blond and busty cracks your chest open and chows down. You know-"

"I know we're not hunting a Disney character," Dean interrupted before Sam could go all encyclopedic on him, spouting about all cultures having some fable of water demon from Aboriginal bunyips to the Maltese Sirena and everything in between like krakens and selkies and grindylows. He heard it the first time when greek boy said the myths probably all sprang from a common source anyway.

Dean adamantly kept calling them mermaids while Sam settled on calling them Nereids, since that's what Dad had called the water creatures attacking the little bay in his journal.

"Anything?" They'd floated into the shade of the rock wall and Dean readied the oar to push them back before the boat bumped against it. A grey lizard scrambled up the rock, diving beneath a clump of weeds growing between a small fissure.

"Actually, I'm getting something." Sam stared hard at the depth finder. "There's a lot of movement just over there." Sam pointed. "Where the wall takes a sudden dip."

Dean twisted around on his crossbench. "Where that little hollow meets the water line?"

"Yeah. Could be the top of an underwater cavern."

"That'd fit with Dad's description," Dean agreed and started rowing that way. "Ya know what I don't get. If Dad took care of these things a decade ago, how come they are just now cropping up again?" More than six fishermen and swimmers had gone missing in the past couple of weeks. The coastguard was out looking for a rogue shark.

Sam shrugged. "Could be a weird hatching pattern, ten year cycle. We know Dad took care of the creatures, but what if he missed the eggs and they've been incubating this whole time . . ."

"Now they've hatched and they're hungry," Dean finished.

"Probably hatched a while ago, swimming around like little tadpoles, eating fish . . ."

"Until they grew large enough to take on something bigger . . . like people." Dean brought the rowboat right up to the little depression in the rock and peered inside the dark recess. "Good news is pretty much anything will kill them." He grinned, lifting a grenade in one hand and a machete in the other. "Slash 'em or blast 'em?"

Sam's mouth pulled down into the equivalent of a facial shrug. "Blast, Dean. Find the caverns they use, toss the grenades in. We just gotta find them first."

"Huh." The machine in Sam's hand was bleeping. "I think this is our cavern 'cause we got several hot blips that look to be just under that wall. He shoved the fish locator down into the bag by his foot and grabbed up a long bladed knife and a smaller bag of grenades. "Think the boat will clear the cave?"

Dean rested the machete along one oar and started rowing into the horizontal slash. "Boat'll clear. You, we'll just have to see."

Dean had been kidding until he had to crouch way over the oars once they entered the cavern. Glancing over he saw that Sam had lowered to the bottom of the boat, bending almost in two. They floated past the ceiling just over their heads. The daylight outside filtered at the mouth, casting the slanted walls and water in a muted glow.

"How far do you think this goes in?"

"Hopefully not far." Sam dug through the pack, setting aside the divers mesh bag with the grenades, and clicked on the flashlight before he even pulled it out. The beam cut through the darkness ahead of them. "Looks like it opens up."

The splash of the oars resounded around the rock interior as Dean pulled through the water.

"Wow."

Dean turned to look at what caught Sam's attention. They were coming into a larger cavern. Both boys straightened as they floated into it. There were several small ledges, like steps, with large gooey-looking gelatinous ovals perched on them. When the flashlight beam hit them, Dean could clearly make out moving forms inside, each about as large and thin as a greyhound. If the babies were this size, how large were the full grown mermaids?

"Let's blast them."

"Kay, yeah." Sam blew out a breath. "Dean, look some have broken through, hatched."

"We know that." Dean pulled the boat right up to the ledge. "Oh, good point. We count those and we'll know how many full growns we have to gank. How many caves you say there were?"

"According to the geological maps, three more." Long knife in hand, Sam stepped onto the slippery ledge right between two of the eggs. They came up to his thighs. "We'll have to check each cave." He looked down at Dean, holding the boat to the ledge. "Maybe we better try this the quiet way so we don't alert the grown-ups until the last cave."

"Slashing it is." Dean frowned. "There's nothing to tie off too."

Sam smiled. "Guess you get to be the getaway driver."

"No," Dean groused. He wanted to kill some water creatures. "You hold the boat."

"That's stupid. I'm already out." Even with only the light from the flashlight, Dean could see Sam's dimples had come out as his brother pressed his lips together, biting off a laugh.

"Fine." Dean caught the flashlight Sam tossed to him. "But the rest of the caves are all mine. Your lame ass can sit and wait in the boat like a . . . like a . . . lame ass."

Sam did laugh at that. "Fine." Dean cast the flashlight beam over his brother as Sam climbed the step-like ledges to the top. "Five."

"What?"

"Five. Only five eggs have been broken through. Eleven still intact."

That was good. Unless they found more hatched eggs in the other caverns, that meant there was only a fistful of grown mermaids they'd have to locate and kill. "I'm gonna take care of these I can reach," Dean set the flashlight down and lifted his machete, shifting his weight as the boat dipped. "Ready?"

"Go!" Sam yelled and Dean slammed the machete straight into the egg. The jelly substance gave easily until the blade met resistance. As the liquid slurped away, Dean stared into a surprised and hideously ugly face. Two large fins quivered back and forth like Dumbo's ears, sprouting from an almost skeletal head with long stiletto teeth cramped within a circular lipless mouth. Gelatin slop sloshed off the body. No way was he calling these things mermaids anymore. They didn't even have breasts. For good measure he slashed off the head, pulling the boat forward to take out the next one.

He heard Sam's grunts and the hissy gurgle of the eggs being split open as his sibling worked higher up. As Dean dispatched his third egg, a piercing shriek shrilled out followed with Sammy's shout of "shit!"

One of the Nereids had come out of its egg swinging. Clawed fingers scrambled across Sammy's chest, the webbing between finger bones splayed like Japanese fans. The tail was wriggling and slapping the rocky floor as the beastie used its claws to climb up the kid. Sam clambered backwards, smashing onto more eggs as he tried to get to his knife that must have been thrown back out of his reach.

_Sonofabitch_. Dean jumped out of the boat, boots squishing through the ruined eggs, keeping the boat's rope in his fist. "Sam!"

"I'm good. Don't lose the boat!" To prove his point Sam's fingers curled around the hilt of his blade and he swung it across his body, wedging it into the Nereid's side and swiped it off his torso like a Frisbee. It slammed into an egg to Dean's right and the hunter rammed his machete down, stabbing two Nereids at once. Couldn't help the satisfying grin from popping out over that one until he heard the deep intake of breath from his brother.

Dean twisted around quickly. He knew the subtle differences in all of Sam's noises from exasperated sighs, sleepy gasps, annoyed huffs, angry snorts or suppressed sniffs. The next shuddering exhalation spoke of pain.

"Sam, what's wrong?"

Sam's head snapped up, his forehead furrowed with deep horseshoe creases. He pulled a bloody hand away from his chest. "I'm okay. Just a bite."

"It bit you? I'm coming up."

"Just hang onto the boat. Let's finish th—Dean, behind you!"

Dean swung around, coming face to face with an inverted vee nostril and scissoring teeth. Even though the chest looked emaciated, scaly skin stretched tight over ribs, the bitch was huge. Holding herself out of the water with her arms on the ledge, her upper body alone was easily the same height as Dean.

Dean took that all in within a second. The same second he swung the machete and heard Sam shouting for him, boots slapping stone. The same second the monster leaped forward into Dean, grabbing him around the waist and slipping backward into the water. Sam's shouts were instantly cut off as Dean entered a world of dark silence.

He'd lost the machete in the fall. Water pulsed along his skin as the creature let them descend toward the bottom of the cave. Dean couldn't see a thing, just felt the steely arms pinning his arms to his chest and the pressure to take a breath building in his lungs. Hell with that. He kicked hard, connecting with solid muscle. Tail? Whatever. He kicked again, again. The arms loosened a fraction. Damn. All the bitch had to do was hold him down here. He'd drown soon enough. These Nereids drowned their prey like a freakin alligator.

He kicked again, again. Slammed his fists back. He wouldn't go easy. Suddenly the Nereid jerked, the arms lost their hold and Dean floated free. He scrambled upward, nearly out of air when he realized he saw light just below him.

_Shit!_ There was his brother, flashlight in his teeth, fighting with the Nereid. Dean could barely make out the oval of Sam's face, hair floating around him, glints of the long knife as parts of it moved in and out of the light. _Shit! Shit! Dammit, Sam!_ Dean couldn't hold his breath anymore, he couldn't help Sam. Decision made, Dean swam to the surface, determined to get there, take a breath and arrow back down to help his brother.

He pulled through the water harder than he'd ever stroked before and exploded through the surface in a matter of seconds. He hadn't been as far down as he'd thought.

He took in several breaths and then one long one and dove under. He nearly choked out all his air when a hand clamped around his ankle. Light. Sammy's face. Dean's muscles tightened, pushing more air out of his chest. He twisted in the water, clamping onto Sam's arm and propelling him upward. They swam hard, crashing to the surface together, dragging in huge inhalations.

Finally Dean asked, "You okay?"

Still catching his breath, Sam merely nodded.

"What about the fugly?"

Sam pushed through a long exhalation and passed a flat hand across his throat in a slicing motion.

Dean grabbed both of Sam's shoulders, shaking him slightly. "Dude, you were full on Aquaman!"

"Well . . ." Sam drew in another breath, but at least he was talking. ". . . had to save Lois Lane."

"Superman's chick, dumbtard. Get your superheroes right."

Sam gave him the I-don't-care grin. "Dean, there's four more. We need to get out of the water."

"Don't have to tell me twice." They swam the few yards over to the boat that was floating free in the middle of the cavern and before Dean could say anything, Sam was hoisting him up. "Whoa there, cowboy." His stomach scraped across the side. "Ow, easy." As soon as he was in, Dean swung around and lowered the curve of his elbow to his brother. Looping his own arm around it, locking elbows for better grip and pulling ability, Dean hauled Sam into the boat. Normally his brother was heavy, but soaking wet he was a dragging weight. Sam got one long leg over the side and Dean hauled him in the rest of the way. The rowboat rolled the other way almost spilling them over the side before they leaned back the other way to right it.

Sam immediately grimaced and clutched his stomach.

"Let me see."

Sam's gaze flicked up from beneath wet bangs, but knowing it was useless to fight about it, he pulled his wet T-shirt up. Tiny red puncture wounds formed a crooked circle on the side of Sam's stomach. "They're not even that deep. I'm okay. Let's just get this done."

Dean frowned. "Okay, but the first thing we do when we're back at the Impala is disinfect that." He cocked his chin toward the ledge. "How many eggs left?"

"Only a few. Blast 'em?"

"Well, they know we're here. Might as well make a party out of it." Dean pulled out a grenade, slipped his finger in the ring. "Ready?"

Sam took up the oars and shrugged.

Grinning, Dean pulled the ring and threw the grenade. It arched over the water, grazing the top of the cavern and bounced onto the middle ledge. Sam was already pulling the oars toward the entrance.

"Down, Sam!" Dean's shout was lost in the blast's concussion, but Sam ducked anyway at the same moment they guided into the long entrance with the low ceiling. The water rolled in waves from the explosion, lifting the boat. The brothers leaped forward into the thin hull, half on and off each other as the boat smacked against the ceiling then dropped again. They stayed low until the waves stopped and the top edges of the battered boat stopped scraping the low rock.

"Damn." Staying low Dean simply started pulling them forward by pushing against the ceiling. "That sucked."

Which made Sam start chuckling. "This is the stupidest case we've been on. Mermaids."

"Nereids, Sammy."

Sam full on laughed at that. The sound echoed around the rock, making Dean join him. They were laughing hysterically when they floated out of the cavern's mouth and into the shade of the cliff.

Still chuckling, Dean unzipped the long waterproof case and pulled out a rifle. "Kay, we're gonna do this quick. Toss the grenades in each cavern and when the grown ups surface to play, we shoot straight into their gullets. Like fish in a barrel."

"Best plan I've heard all day."

"So where are the other caves?"

Sam pointed not too far from where they just exited. "There, there and there." Close together. That makes things easier. Sam rowed them over to the nearest cave. It was really more of a large scoop in the cliff face, high enough to oar the boat right into and look around. There weren't any rocky shelves in this one, no eggs, hatched or otherwise.

Sam rowed them back out into the sunshine. "Hopefully, the other two caves will be just as empty," Dean said.

"That'd be a nice change," Sam muttered.

The change in tone had Dean's head snapping up. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said and then thought better of it. "No. These scratches are starting to burn a little. Probably the salt water?" Sam tried for a hopeful expression that failed miserably.

"That's it. We're done for the day."

"But the caves are right there."

"Be there tomorrow too." Dean shifted off his seat. "Pass me the oars."

Sam's mouth stretched and tightened while his forehead creased in resigned frustration, but he stretched an oar out at the same moment his end of the boat lifted then slammed back into the water with a huge splash. Already halfway off his seat, Dean tumbled over the side. His brother's shout was immediately cut off as Dean plunged into the water.

Two of the creatures were on him in an instant. Visibility was poor, maybe ten feet at best, but he could still see how ugly the bitches were, all teeth and rubbery scaly skin. Webbed hands dragged across his arms and chest, but he still had the rifle and fired point blank in a white skeletal chest. Water pulsed like arrows from the bullet. Yellow eyes stared at him as black tar-like crap exploded from the bullet hole, swirling in the water like melted wax in a lava lamp.

The hands fell away and the creature floated off, but the other hung on, claw-like ends of the fingers tearing into his shirts. Dean tried to bring the rifle around, even knowing it might not work again underwater, but he could still use the butt like a club, all the while he kicked and tried to swim up. He could see the bottom of the boat.

Stroking upward, the rifle was wrenched from his grasp. Dean looked down and found himself face to face with yet another creature. Freakin mermaid was locked onto his arm like a vise and both girls were pulling him down while he tried to go up. His chest spasmed in pain. The urge to open his mouth and gulp in a breath was damn near hard to ignore.

Suddenly Sam burst into view, strong strokes propelling him closer, hair streaming back, a third Nereid right behind him, reaching for his brother's calves. But whether the kid knew one of the skank's was behind him, Dean would never know because Sam surged right for him. A blade glinted in the green-tinged water as it arced past Dean's face and down into the shoulder of the Nereid clamped around Dean's right arm. She and Sam jerked away in a snarl of legs and muscled thrashing mermaid tail.

Dean rammed his elbow down on the other bitch and kicked away. _He couldn't breathe couldn't breathe couldn't breathe_. His lungs were clenching. Involuntarily he was going to suck in water any second now. He couldn't stop his chest from squeezing, even as his head screamed that he had to swim upward. But he couldn't leave Sam.

It was stupid, he knew, but he'd never been smart when it came to Sam needing him. His lungs hurt so bad. _Nononono, calm down, go get Sam._ But Sam was suddenly there, swimming parallel to him. Dean turned, kicking to the surface, bursting into light, struggling, gasping in oxygen so heavily he thought he might pass out.

Sam broke through the surface several feet away, flinging up water like a fountain.

Dean started swimming toward him.

"Get in the boat! They're coming!" Sam's whipped around, looking for the rowboat. It floated several yards behind him. "Dean, they're com-" Sam was jerked under the water just like the girl in _Jaws_.

Diving under, Dean swam after him. Dammit. The three remaining Nereids had Sam, one locked onto his stomach, the others fighting his arms and legs as they pushed him backwards through the water. Though the kid put up a good fight, their superior swimming abilities and muscular pumping tails carried Sam farther and farther away. Getting one hand free, Sam reached over a bony shoulder, arm outstretched for Dean before he disappeared within the murk.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

He'd lost Sam. The Nereids had taken him. God, he'd lost his brother to a bunch of sea-bitches who liked to hold their prey under water until they drowned before munching on them for dinner. Sam could be dead, drowned at the bottom of the bay and he'd never be able to find him. Dean mentally shook himself to get it together but it was damn near impossible. He pulled himself up into the rowboat, his chest clenched as tight as a guitar string. His breathing grew even more agitated. Who was he kidding? This was Sam, his little brother who could be dead. He wasn't ever going to get calm about that.

Instead, Dean shoved the last three grenades into the mesh divers bag, strapped the rubber-holstered divers knife to his ankle and started rowing toward the next cave. He'd bet his last dollar the sea-monkeys had taken his brother inside one of those. God, he hoped he was right.

The first cave, well third cave he'd gone into today was deep yet low ceilinged. There was one small shelf with only three of the gushy eggs on it, no broken shells and no younger brother. They looked yellowish, sick, if you could call a Nereid egg sick. Whatever. They just weren't thriving here. Dean debated taking the time to take care of them since it didn't look as though they were going to hatch anyway, but in the end he jumped out and stabbed them all. Took less than a minute all the while Dean feared that might be a minute his sibling didn't have.

Panic surged through his body, making his limbs shake and his hands clasp too hard around the oar handles as he rowed out of the little cave and toward the next one.

"You got to be kidding me." Dean stared into what looked like a natural made drainage ditch, barely wide enough for one man to go through at a time. It was completely submerged except for about an inch of air at the top, which was the only way he had even found the opening. He didn't know how far in it went, if it got any larger, or if the pocket of air remained. They didn't have any oxygen containers, didn't think they'd need it. His eyes narrowed at the opening. He didn't want to go in there, yet he knew that's exactly what he was going to do. Jaw set, he shook his head. What he wouldn't do for Sammy. He threw the little anchor overboard to keep the boat in place.

Quickly he rummaged through the bag Sam had equipped, seeing if there was anything else he could use and came up with flippers and one of those flashlights you strapped to your forehead. Perfect, He kicked off his wet boots and socks, pulled on the flippers, flicked on the light and twisted the Velcro strap around his head to keep the beam in place before rolling into the water.

He didn't hesitate at the entrance. Sam was in there, Dean's spidey-brother sense was tingling. This isn't bad, he told himself as he floated on his back, keeping his mouth and nose above water just an inch near the stone ceiling as he pulled himself along. Not creepy at all. The flippers worked great, propelling him strongly with each kick. _I'm just like a freaking navy seal, deployed on a secret rescue mission,_ he told himself to keep himself calm. His heartbeat was loud, resonating through him with his ears below the water line. Was the tunnel closing in? How freaking long was this tunnel? His pulse ramped up.

Until suddenly the ceiling opened up. He was out. Dean spun around, treading in the water as the light's beam bounced around a high cavern ceiling and curving rock-hewn walls. It looked like water had once carved out a rocky bowl letting air fill the cavern as the ocean drained back down to sea level.

The beam followed his gaze as Dean moved his head slowly to take in the area. There was a long ledge here, but no eggs. The light played over something white at the water's edge. Dean jerked his gaze, bringing the light back to it.

It was one of the Nereids, upper body out of the water curled over . . .

Dean was swimming forward before he even completed the thought. The bitch was curled over Sam's back.

Sam was halfway out of the water, arms flung wide and limp, the side of his face pressed against the rocky ledge, eyes closed . . . and the fugly was curled over him, petting his brother's wet hair beneath those hideously large webbed hands like he was a puppy.

The bitch hadn't moved. She'd seen him all right, had been watching his approach, but was too enamored of Sam to be bothered about it. Either that or she didn't see Dean as a threat. Last mistake she'd ever make. Dean had his knife out and slicing into the back of the Nereid's neck a second before she sprang back hissing, too late to do her any good. Her tail slapped at Dean, tossing him into the ledge. The wave made Sam's body and arm bob.

Lunging again, Dean jumped on the water-ape and they both went under, but the blade struck true, pushing down into the heart. Dean held on, twisting it, twisting, jerking until the arms went lax, the body still. Kicking her away, Dean wrenched the blade free and swam back up.

Sam hadn't moved. _Don't be dead. God, don't be dead._ Sam floated, legs angled downward by the weight of his heavy wet boots and jeans. His cheek rested on the slick stone. One arm floated freely while the other was higher on the ledge twisted in some sort of weed that grew out of the rock, his fingers limp. It looked as though Sam knew he was about to pass out and quickly shoved his arm into the vegetation to keep himself anchored.

_God, Sammy_. Dean's heart slammed inside his ribs at just how close he'd been to losing him. "Come on, Sam, wake up." He tapped his face while scanning the area for the other two Nereids. "Come on, bro. Gotta get out of the water."

He lifted Sam's head from the rock, nudging him. "Sam."

Lips twitched into a frown before there was movement beneath the eyelids. "Sam, come on. We don't have time for this. Sea monkeys will be back any time so we gotta crawl out of this water."

"Sea monkeys?" Sam slurred, still not opening his eyes.

"Nereids. Come on, you with me?"

"Yeah." Finally the eyes slid open and then squinted again at the direct beam of light pointed at him.

"Sorry." Dean pushed the square flashlight to the side of his forehead. "Can you get out?"

"Uh, yeah." Sam twisted his arm out of the weeds and bracing on the rock, tried to push up, but only sank farther into the water.

"That'd be a no," Dean said. "Here." He hoisted himself out, and then gripped Sam beneath the arms and began edging backwards, pulling his dead weight of a brother up. "Dude, what do they pack in those salads you eat?"

"Three pounds of lead," Sam whispered, his hands braced on the rock, trying to help Dean pull him out.

"Feels like it. Swing your leg up."

Shaking badly, the tendons in his arms popping out, Sam's knee cleared the water just as a webbed hand lifted out of the water and slapped onto his thigh.

Sam's body dragged back down, nearly wrenching out of Dean's grasp. Both brothers shouted at once.

Dean's hands slid across Sam's arms, jerking at his brother's wrists.

Sam's eyes were huge, terrified. "Dean!" Another wrench pulled him farther into the water. Dean braced backward, Sam's body stretched out in a deadly tug-of-war. "Don't let go! Dean!"

The damn flippers Dean had on were sliding toward the edge. Sam was sliding, up to his neck in the water. Dean's grip was slipping.

"Noooooooo!"

In a froth of spray the sea bitch leaped up and ripped Sam away from Dean. The last glimpse Dean had was tips of brown hair swirling away from view.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

Dean dove in after them, kicking furiously, the flashlight on his forehead piercing through the darkness. He flinched as he swam into a jungle of seagrass that swept across him like silky hands exploring his flesh. The bottom of the cavern was shallow, only a few yards down. The light passed over the silty floor, picking up gleaming bone layered with greenish vetch. A small yellow fish darted inside the eye cavity of a skull. The cavern floor was littered with dozens of bones. Human. This cave was obviously the Nereids favorite picnic area. Dean tucked the horror of that deep down inside his chest. His brother was not going to be the beasties' latest bucket of chicken wings.

He moved his head back and forth, letting the light sweep outward. Dammit, this cave wasn't that big. His heart clenched, fearing the Nereid could have left the cavern and gone into the bay or worse, the open ocean. He'd never see Sammy again. Panic pushed tightly inside his chest, squeezing against what was left of his oxygen, then . . .

_Sam. Thank God._ He found him. Not one, but two of the Nereid's had Sam pinned against the floor. His arms and legs floated upward, swaying in rhythm to the surrounding vegetation, moving with the subtle waves produced by the sea monkey's fanning tails.

Pulling the knife from his ankle, Dean surged forward, stabbed the closest tail and sliced downward. Inky blood poured around them as the tail lashed out, spinning Dean away. Quickly recovering, because he didn't have enough breath left to play around with, Dean tucked beneath the other one, pushing Sam out as he swung the blade upward into the bitch's stomach.

He wasn't even sure how bad he hurt her because he kept going, pulling Sam up with him. The kid's arms fluttered limply, head hanging, which frightened Dean into kicking for all that he was worth. They exploded to the surface in a cascade of drops. Chest heaving painfully, Dean drew in much needed oxygen to his labored lungs. Sam floated limply, staying above the waterline only because Dean had a hold of him. He hadn't drawn in as much as a breath.

"Come on, Sam." Dean slapped his face. "Come on, dammit!"

Dean swam them over to the ledge, his legs tangling with Sam's. He had no idea where the Nereid's were, how bad he had wounded them, or how he was going to get his listless gigantor brother out of the water and get him breathing again. Trying to pull Sam out had left him far too vulnerable last time.

At the ledge, Dean set the knife down in easy reaching distance and manhandled Sam out as high as he could get him. Crap, he was heavy and Dean was exhausted. Didn't matter. Nereids could be circling beneath them right now. Pulling off the flippers, he tossed them onto the rock so he could climb out easier. He lifted one of Sam's legs up on the rock and holding him there with his own body, Dean hoisted himself up and then scrambled over the top of Sam and pulled, lifting with everything he had and then rolled his brother up onto the ledge.

Falling back onto his butt, Dean sat there for a moment, heaving for a mere second before scrambling back across Sam and pulling his other leg out of the water.

They still weren't far enough from the edge for Dean's liking, but Sam wasn't breathing. His younger brother wasn't breathing.

Placing his fingers at Sam's neck, Dean searched for a pulse, closing his eyes in relief when he found one.

"Okay, that's good. That's good." Dean leaned down, placing his ear to Sam's mouth, listening for the slightest breath while looking across the chest for any rise and fall.

Sam still hadn't moved. Dean's throat tightened. How long had it been since Sam was dragged under? It seemed like hours, but was probably only a few minutes. It couldn't be too late. It just couldn't.

Shaking, Dean cleared Sam's mouth, tipped it open, plugged the kid's nose, and sealed his own lips over Sam's. With a hand splayed over Sam's chest, Dean felt it finally expand as he pushed his own breath into his brother. He felt it fall and blew again, pouring his fear and urgency for the kid to breathe with the steady trickle of air. _Come on._ Again.

Dean lifted his head, watched for Sam to take a breath on his own. Nothing. He scanned the water for the Nereids before leaning in and breathing for Sam again.

He lost count of how many times he pushed his own air into Sam's chest, how many times he checked to see if Sam breathed for himself. He'd keep at it as long as it took. Nothing else mattered. Dean's world whittled down to a narrow focus of feeling Sam's chest expand with the air he forced into him . . . of the taste of ocean salt on his brother's lips . . . of making certain there was still a pulse . . . of his own tears warming the chilled mouth . . . of turning his head between counts, willing Sam's chest to rise.

"Don't do this to me," Dean sobbed. "S-Sam." _Not giving up on you, man._

Dean blew again, his heart sinking.

He lifted, inhaled, and lowered his mouth back to Sam's . . . and felt Sam's lips move.

Dean froze, unsure, until he felt it again. He reared back, stared at Sam's chest, watched it tighten until Sam spasmed on a gasp. Quickly Dean turned him to his side just before Sam spewed out a gush of water. The retching was horrible and loud and raw-sounding and Dean couldn't stop the tremors running through his own body anymore than he could stop Sam's shaking.

He had almost lost him. That had been too close. He hovered, palm on Sam's back while the kid braced his elbows on the stone, intermittently puking and resting while his stomach muscles clenched up just to spew some more. Dean winched with each bout until finally it appeared Sam didn't have any more to give. He sagged back, instinctively knowing Dean would catch him.

He looked up at Dean, gray-faced and exhausted.

Dean rested his palm at the side of Sam's face. "Don't ever do that again." His voice was deeper than usual. "You hear me?"

"Kay." Sam's eyes looked darker, shinier, in the indirect light of the headlamp. "What'd I do?"

_You almost died_. "Became the plaything of several mermaids."

Lines appeared on Sam's forehead as his gaze roamed over the water before coming back to Dean. "You don't look so good."

Dean snorted. "I'm as peachy as cobbler."

Sam looked around, seeing no exit. "How'd we get in here?" He pulled himself up higher. His breathing increased. "How we gonna get out?"

Dean looked toward where the tunnel should be, flashing the light over there, but the tide had come in and the few inches of the air pocket was fully submerged now. After Sam's close call, Dean wasn't going to risk Sammy swimming through that anyway, not when the space was so small that they'd have to go single file and definitely not until he'd taken out the last two Nereids.

"We're going to have to swim out in the morning when the tide's out. There's a tunnel. It's just fully under water now."

"C-can't we just swim through?"

Dean frowned. "It's pretty long. Plus if those bitches caught us between them . . ."

Sam's face creased. A low tremor ran through his lanky frame.

Dean put his hand on Sam's shoulder. "You okay?" _He almost died. He wasn't okay._

Sam nodded. "Just cold. Don't suppose . . . you have waterproof . . . proof . . . matches on you?"

"Nope." Dean was cold too, although he wasn't shivering like his sibling. "Hang on. I'll get you warm. First, I want to get you farther away from the edge."

Gulping, Sam nodded empathically at that, making Dean laugh. Sam looked back at the water. "Can't we just go?"

Dean crouched back down in front of Sam. If his brother was whining like a child, he was more out of it than he'd at first believed. He cupped his arms beneath Sam's armpits and hoisted the sasquatch up, settling him on his feet.

"Okay?"

Sam nodded just before he sank back to his knees.

"Right."

"S-sorry."

"No problem. I'm used to hauling your ass around."

"Dean." The warning edge to Sam's tone had Dean looking to the water where a white skullish head emerged. The fin-like ears twitched, making small ripples.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Dean grabbed Sam around the chest and started pulling him backwards. Sam's soaked boots scrabbled across the rock, trying to help. Dean went back as far as he could until the diver's bag on his back scraped across the cave wall. Lowering Sam back to the rock floor, Dean pulled the bag around and pulled out a grenade.

He stepped out in front of Sam and the creature lowered beneath the surface. "Next time you show yourself, bitch, you're mine." He went quickly to the edge and retrieved the knife. He stood there for a while, hoping one of them would emerge again. He itched to kill these things and be done with it.

When he got back to Sam, the young man was curled over himself, shivering wickedly. "Hey, hey, let's get you out of these wet clothes."

"W-why?" Sam's teeth chattered. "G-got a blanket up y-your s-sleeve?"

"No." Dean started unlacing Sam's ruined boots. "But your skin will dry faster than these wet clothes." He tossed the boots aside and then slipped off the socks. Sam's feet felt like wrinkled ice cubes. Next he went to work on the jeans, unfastening the belt before wrestling the sopping levi's down. He left the boxers, hoping the light cotton would dry quickly.

Pulling Sam's rubbery arms out of his button down shirt felt like something out of a Three Stooges comedy, which turned out to be entirely not funny once Dean hauled the T-shirt over Sam's head and saw the nasty bite and claw marks. Sam hissed in a breath, twisting away when Dean touched the bite.

"Hurt bad?"

"M-mostly when you p-poke at it, so stop."

"All right. Not touching. Stay here."

Sam barked out a grunt.

Setting the bag of grenades down, Dean stripped down to his shorts-cut briefs. Moving carefully on his bare feet—damn the stone was cold—he used the knife to cut away all the moss and sea vetch within reach. There wasn't much, just an armful, but he brought that over to his sibling.

"Sammy, wake up." Sam had slipped down to lie on his side. His eyes were closed, arms curled around himself in a sorry attempt to calm the tremors coursing through him.

Dean pushed the vegetation against Sam's back, spreading it out. "Hey, sasquatch, roll toward me and get on this. Gotta get some insulation between you and the rock. It's seeping all the heat out of you."

"Is n-no . . . heat . . . to s-seep out."

Dean sat down beside him. "C'mere. Body heat." Not that Dean was any warmer.

Sam rolled toward him. "Wanna cud-cuddle?" The little bitch grinned.

Dean wrapped his arms around him, rubbing the long arms for circulation. "Well we've already done mouth to mouth, what's a little spooning?"

Sam froze, which was saying something with how badly he'd been shaking. "I wa-wasn't b-breathing?"

_Dammit._ "No."

"How lo-long?"

_Far too long. You almost died._ "Long enough."

Sam remained silent for awhile. The shudders began again. Dean thought perhaps he'd fallen asleep until he heard a quiet, "thank you."

In answer, Dean simply pulled Sam closer and nodded against his hair.

They stayed like that for awhile, listening to the quiet lapping of the water against rock and tiny plops of the dripping condensation that gathered along the ceiling. Dean continued to rub various parts of Sam's body, circulating warmth. Sam's head slipped lower down along Dean's chest.

"Hey, hey. Sam, don't go to sleep." Dean pulled the kid up by his shoulders, rousing him. "Stay with me, okay."

Sam's eyes blinked open. "S'cold."

"I know. That's why you got to stay awake." Sam looked so miserable, his face scrunched so tight like he was about to cry. "Talk to me. Tell me something I don't know."

Sam snorted. "You know everything about me." Dean grinned, realizing Sam's teeth were no longer chattering.

"Come on, there's got to be something."

"Um, okay." Sam's hand burrowed between Dean's side and the cut vegetation. The long fingers were freezing, but Dean let them stay on his bare skin anyway. "Remember D-dad's favorite ten-inch? H-had the handle—"

"With the moose carving. Dad loved the balance of that knife."

"Re-remember how it wa-went missing and we all searched . . . searched for hours . . ."

"Sam, you didn't."

"I just b-borrowed it for throwing practice, except a squirrel j-jumped right into its path."

"You knifed a squirrel?"

"Didn't mean to."

"You still could've retrieved the blade."

"I t-tried, but when I went to pull it out, I swear the squirrel r-r-reared up and took off, the hilt of Dad's blade bouncing in its side. Scared the cr-crap outta me."

Dean started laughing. "You're making this up."

"I swear I'm not. I chased that d-damn squirrel for hours." Sam started laughing too.

"So why didn't you just come clean?"

"You're kidding, right? W-would you go to Dad with a story about a demon squirrel taking off with his best blade?"

"Nope. Not a chance."

"Dean?"

"Yeah."

"It's still really cold. H-how much longer you think we gotta wait?" There was a pause. "I'm a little warmer now. Do you think it's safe to sleep?" Which was he, cold or warm?

"No, Sammy. Stay awake."

"What if I moved down by the water?"

"What good would that—no, Sam."

"I could be bait, lure them out. You could kill them, then, then we could go. Please, Dean. I don't want to be here anymore. I'm so cold."

"I know, buddy, just . . . don't worry about the monsters. They're going to show sooner or later and I'm gonna get them, and come morning when the water in that tunnel lowers, we're gone. All right?" Dean waited for Sam's response. "Sam?"

He shook him. The younger hunter's head rolled farther down. "Sam?" Dean lifted the lax head, craning around to get a look at the kid's face. His brother's eyes were closed. "No sleeping, come on, Sammy. Up and at 'em, cupcake. Sam!" Dean felt his own heart rate tear out of the gate. His brother wasn't responding. He flattened his palm over the cold chest, feeling for the intake of air. There it was and Dean let out an exhalation with him.

"Sam, come on." Dean tapped Sam's cheek again. "Sam."

Finally there was movement beneath the closed eyelids. Shifting Sam's head off of him, Dean lowered Sam's head and shoulders to the body-warmed vegetation, and moved in front of him. Dean rubbed his palms together for heat friction and then cupped them around Sam's face. "Come on, kiddo."

Sam's eyes slid open. They tracked absently around the cave before settling on Dean. "What happened?" His brows angled down in confusion. "Why are you naked?"


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

"Hunting Nereids." Dean's teeth skimmed across his lower lip. This wasn't good. "You remember?"

Sam's gaze skittered around the cavern again. "Nereids?"

"Yeah."

Sam's Adam's apple bobbed. "There were eggs? And you . . . fell in the water. I got bit. It burns." Sam's palm went to the side of his stomach. His eyes tightened at the corners. At least he wasn't stuttering. "Did I use Dad's knife? I thought I lost it . . . a squirrrrrrrel," his voice drifted. His hand slipped from his side as his eyes fell closed again.

"No, no, Sammy." Dean shook him, but got no response. "Dammit." He stared at Sam a long hard time, not sure what to do. "Okay, all right, I'm gonna take care of this."

Dean tugged Sam over so his other side was lying against the body-warmed weeds. He packed the rest of the vegetation up around Sam's stomach, getting as much around him as he could. Next Dean stood and began jogging in place, pumping his arms around, getting as much of his own blood flowing as possible. It was actually working. Dean felt warmer already.

Heated up as much as he thought he was going to get, Dean slid in behind Sam, pressing his warmer chest against Sam's back, flinching at the shock of cold that was his sibling's flesh. He pressed in close, reaching over to arrange the vegetation as good as he could manage over Sam's exposed skin.

He repeated the process several times, getting up, turning Sam, running around the ledge, doing calisthenics and then slipping in and giving his younger brother his hard-earned warmth.

He wasn't sure when it happened, but he realized Sam was pushing back, snuggling into him, his breathing easier. "Sam?"

"Mmmmmmph."

"You with me?"

"Mmmm-hmmm."

"What year is it?"

"Year of the swine."

_Was it? _"Idiot."

"You kill the water-monkeys yet?"

"So you remember those?"

"Little hard to forget."

"You'd be surprised." _You were out of it for a while. I was worried._ Something loosened in Dean's chest and he breathed a little easier. "How are you feeling? Are you warm enough now?"

"Better." Sam's voice still had a sleepy burr to it. "We can go now, you killed them, right?"

"No, not yet. They haven't showed their faces again. They're both wounded though. Maybe they're afraid of my awesomeness."

Sam's breathing hitched up. His shoulders rose. "What if they never come back? We c-can't stay here forever. We'll freeze to death."

Dean knew the signs of panic. "Whoa, whoa. We're not staying here forever." Sam was struggling up, throwing off the weeds. From behind, Dean snaked his arms around him. Sam's chest was heaving in and out rapidly. "Stop it, Sam. Calm down." Sam was going to hyperventilate and with the cold and everything he'd already gone through, it couldn't be good for his heart. "Sam, stop. You trust me, right? You know I always have a plan."

"But sometimes your pl-pl-plans are stupid."

"Hey, they generally work."

"Yeah, usually after we get beat to hell."

It was working, the banter was getting through to Sam. His breathing was slowing, his torso no longer so rigid.

"Well, you're already beat to hell so I'd say we're halfway there." Dean pulled Sam back against him, a little concerned that Sam was so compliant about it.

They lay on their sides together. Dean's breath blew the tips of Sam's hair across the back of his neck. "Sam, don't go to sleep."

There was no response.

He nudged his brother. "I mean it, Sam."

"Yeah, kay."

Dean frowned at the kid's rapidly changing behavior. He didn't know if Sam was going to come out of a deadened sleep fully coherent or not even knowing where he was, or worse, not wake up at all. "No sleeping."

Sam moaned in answer.

"So, why a lawyer?"

"Huhhh?" Barely a slur.

"You were going to go to law school. What was the draw?"

"Draw?"

"Quit repeating everything I say. What made you want to become a lawyer?"

Sam's shoulders squished up in a shrug. "I just, um . . . thought I could make a difference, help people. And . . ."

"And . . .?"

"Each case . . . requires a different approach, piecing things together . . . come up with the best plan. Liked . . . the challenge."

Dean grunted.

"What?"

"I don't know, Sammy. It sounds like you just described hunting."

"Yeah, maybe." Sam went quiet, and Dean let him be until the curiosity got the better of him.

"But . . .?"

"But nothing."

"Oh there's a _but_. I can feel it."

Sam sighed. "Being a lawyer meant . . . building something permanent. Ya know, putting down roots so far nothing could ever rip them out."

Water splashed the rocks. The beam from Dean's headlamp threw shadows from water-sculpted stones across the wall.

"For what it's worth . . ." Dean pulled some of the weeds that had fallen across Sam's exposed thigh. "I wish you could have had that." Talking to the back of Sam's head somehow made it easier to admit.

"I know. Thank you for that. But, Dean." Sam went quiet as though he struggled with what he wanted to say. "I just . . . " He cleared his throat. "Back then, I just didn't realize that I already had it."

Dean wasn't following. "What do you mean?"

"You and Dad . . . you've always been there for me, even when we argued. You guys, you're my permanent."

Dean squeezed his eyes tight, grateful more than ever Sam couldn't see his expression. He swallowed around the heavy stone Sam effectively just lodged inside his throat. Leave it to his brother to turn them both into sobbing little girls after mermaids just tried to eat them.

"Stupid, huh?" Which was Sam's way of back tracking, feeling embarrassed.

"No," Dean said quickly, his throat closing. "No." He squeezed Sam's arm, saying more with the gesture than he knew how to voice.

They didn't say much more. Dean drifted into his own thoughts, waiting out the tide, keeping Sam as warm as possible. The chill was taking its toll on him as well, his body becoming heavy. He wanted to go to sleep, wanted to quit harassing Sam to stay awake and let him sleep as well.

"Time to turn over again."

Sam just moaned. Dean tugged him over to his other side, blinking his eyes to keep them open. He was sleeping for a week once they got out of here. He stood, too tired to do jumping jacks, so he settled for walking around. He checked to see if his jeans were dry yet. No cigar, but his and Sam's T-shirts only had a few damp spots. He shrugged his on, shuddering at the instant cold on his skin and held Sam's tight to him to warm it up. This should help quite a bit.

A quiet scrape echoed across the rock. Dean's gaze snapped up, swinging the headlamp beam around. One of the Nereids was crawling up the ledge, her tail propelling her jerkily forward like a worm.

"Oh you bitch. I've been waiting for you." In the space of a breath, Dean had the knife out of the ankle strap and slammed into the creature's back. With more strength than he'd given her credit for, she rolled over, whipping an arm into Dean and tossing him into the cavern wall.

"Sonofabitch," he heaved out, staggering up to go at her again, dodging the slapping tail, and simply let gravity and momentum carry him down where his elbow rammed into the beast's sternum. He felt more than heard the pleasing crack of bone. Shifting all his weight forward over his arm, he twisted his bent elbow, digging it in farther. The she-bitch's hands came around, claws digging into his arms, the glare of the flashlight casting harsh shadows across the skeletal face. Dean pushed, knowing his elbow was doing damage and that his knife was still in her back. Water-ape was getting hers from both sides.

"Nuuuuhhh!"

Dean jerked upward at the cry. The second Nereid was on the ledge, coming up from the other side. Damn sneaky ape. She had Sam by the thighs and was sliding back down the ledge, the little bed of weeds offering no resistance. Twisting, Sam reached desperately for the divers bag, snatched it, brought it to his chest where he fumbled inside.

Time seemed to slow. Pressing everything he had onto the Nereid, Dean watched, frozen with fear as Sam pulled out a grenade. One long finger slipped into the ring. "Nooooooo!" Dean lunged up, leaving the Nereid he'd only moments ago been intent on killing and raced across the ledge.

"Wait, wait!" he screamed, sliding across the stone to kick at the monster dragging his brother away. He kicked at her face again. Again. Sam screamed. Long red lines sprouted down his legs where her claws slipped away. Dean kicked again, dislodging her. "Now, Sam!"

Sam pulled the ring, tossing the grenade at the beast's ugly head at the same moment Dean lunged at him, rolling them both into the water.

Dean swam to the bottom, pushing Sam backward in the same way the Nereids had earlier. The blast thrummed through the water, pulsating against them. Dean nearly lost his grip on Sam. Huge slabs of rock fell around them. Shit. What'd they do?

Sam pushed away, gaining some moving room while keeping his hand locked around Dean's wrist. As one, they kicked off the bottom and swam upward. They broke the surface to a scene from hell. The blast set off what must have been a fault line in the cave's structure because the walls and ceiling were shifting, sharp flakes of stone falling off in sheets. The Nereids were still on the ledge, their bodies being smashed by raining shards.

Dean looked to where the submerged tunnel should be, at the cracks shooting through the stone like breaking masonry. "We gotta get out of here!"


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

He swam to the far wall, making sure Sam was with him. "In there. Now!"

Sam looked at him like he was crazy. "We'll be smashed."

"It's the only way out." Dean looked up. Another crack was forming just above them, jarring another slab loose. "Go, now!" Without waiting, Dean shoved Sam's head under the water, pushing him into the dark hole and following behind just as the slab crashed into the water and the resulting wave rocked over them. The headlamp scraped off the tunnel's edge, plunging them in darkness.

Dean moved forward, bracing his hands along the jaggedly curved walls until he ran into Sam. His brother wasn't moving, probably waiting for him. Dean shoved against him, knowing the tunnel was long and the tide hadn't gone out yet to provide any pockets of air near the top.

Sam slapped out at Dean, still not moving. Dammit, Dean didn't know what Sam he was dealing with. The coherent one or the out of it Sam? The kid could be disoriented again, not cognizant enough to know what was going on. _Quit fighting me!_ Dean pulled himself up along Sam, his back scraping the top of the tunnel. Sam's arms flailed at him, legs kicking and thumping against his. Could he not tell the difference between legs and a Nereid's tail? The water rushed against them. He couldn't see, but Dean felt the tunnel shifting. If it split open on them now, they really would be crushed.

They had to go. Dean grabbed at Sam, but he couldn't get a hold on the smooth skin or flapping gangly limbs. Except for the waistband of his boxers that were out of reach there was nothing to hang onto. The hell there wasn't. Dean reached between the slapping hands, tangling his fingers into strands of overlong hair and pulled. Long hands clamped around his wrist instantly, tugging to get free, but Dean wasn't about to let go.

If he let go, he'd lose Sam and that wasn't an option.

Kicking off of the walls because Sam's thrashing legs were in the way, Dean practically walked them through the tunnel, bare feet getting torn on the uneven walls. His brother was in full out fight or flight mode and the kid was fighting for all his worth, alternately sending jabs into Dean's ribs and trying to yank his hand out of his hair, but no way in hell was Dean letting go.

Fighting Sam was taking more of his breath than Dean had. Come to think of it, he had slammed Sam into the tunnel before his brother could take a proper breath and with how badly Sam was thrashing . . . Not good, not good. Dean redoubled his efforts, pulling Sam with everything he had left. He finally managed to hook an arm beneath Sam's armpit and heaved. In the darkness, he had no idea how much farther they had to go or even if the opening on the other end was still there or already fallen in. He jolted briefly, wondering if he was even going in the right direction.

Had to be. His struggle with Sam couldn't have gotten them turned around. Could it? _Shit_. He couldn't think like that. Keep going, just keep going. He pushed on, suddenly realizing that Sam was no longer struggling. Wasn't swimming on his own either. _Dammit. Made the going easier, but . . . dammit_.

The tunnel narrowed and Dean had to pull himself on ahead, extending his and Sam's arms out to guide Sam through after him. He felt a rock fall between them and he lost his grip. Felt Sam float away.

The tunnel was collapsing and he'd lost Sam.

Not happening. There wasn't enough room to turn, so Dean used the fallen rock to push himself backwards, squeezing between it and the walls. His feet connected with something silky. Had to be Sam's hair. Scooting back more, Dean reached, found Sam floating against the ceiling. Grabbing Sam's arm, Dean pulled himself past the rock, maneuvered Sam past it, feeling the tug as gigantor must have scraped against it.

Dean winced on his behalf but kept pulling. That's what his brother got for making him do all the work when they really couldn't afford it.

He pulled Sam through the darkness, chest about ready to burst when bubbles raced across his flesh, followed by a rolling current that pushed them forward like a sudden water slide as the cavern collapsed behind them. The wave spewed them out of the tunnel, ripping Sam away and Dean found himself clawing to the surface and the morning air, gasping in huge breaths as the cliff wall behind him rumbled, falling several feet over the hole they'd just exited, forever altering the dipping shape of the landscape above.

Closer, barely registering over the roar of the shifting, grinding stone, wet choking gasps rolled over him. "Sam!" He swam over to his sibling who was gasping, watching the high wall sinking several yards with a horrified expression.

When Sam's head slipped beneath the water, Dean hauled him back up, and kept him afloat until his sputtering stopped, so glad his brother was conscious again, though it would have been nice if he'd come to earlier.

"Did . . ." Sam managed to get out between long inhalations. ". . . we . . . do that?"

Dean's mouth pulled down in his own facial shrug. "Well, you're the one who threw the grenade."

If possible, Sam's features grew even more horrified.

Hiding his smile, Dean circled around to locate their boat and did a double-take when he saw a fisherman and a streamlined skiff not four yards away. Slack-jawed the guy looked from the large slabs falling from the sagging cliff, creating spectacular splashes, to the brothers, a fishing rod about to fall from his loose fingers.

Dean lifted a dripping arm and waved. "Hey, a little help here!"

He wasn't sure what he was going to come up with to explain the collapsing cavern or why they were out here in little more than their underwear, but that was okay. The way Dean saw it, they had killed all the mermaids, destroyed the eggs, and he'd gotten Sam out. Sure Sam was still a little out of it and he had a nasty bite and claw scratches they'd have to take care of, he'd have to be watched for secondary drowning with all that salt water in his lungs, possibly go to the hospital to make sure, but Sam was alive. The kid was alive.

All in all, Dean'd chalk it up to a successful hunt.

_**Fin**_


End file.
